I’m back now. Sorry. But I just had to release the sounds and emotions I felt when I first tasted these deliciously simple green beans. Yum. Did I say that already? I think I did.

It’s green bean season, which means either your garden is bursting with them or your local grocery store has piles and piles of them for you to grab at will. I love fresh green beans—also known as “string beans” or “snap beans”—and while they’re totally versatile, it’s sometimes hard to know what to do with them beyond just cooking them in a pot of water. I love preparing the crisp little babies in a skillet with delicious ingredients, allowing them to cook down and become both colorful and slightly caramelized. To me, that brings out the natural culinary beauty of a green bean much more than allowing it to become soggy in a bunch of liquid.

My homegirl Hyacinth make these with me last week, so you’ll be seeing her petite, lovely hands in the photos. I want her hands to be mine, and I’m trying to figure out how I can make that happen.

You’ll need a bunch of fresh green beans. Just go to the store, grab a big, sweaty handful, and put them into a bag. For this recipe, I used about a pound.

When you’re ready to cook ‘em, just wash ‘em and begin snapping off the ends, removing the tough string if one is present.

I used to wonder—and still do wonder somewhat—why you can’t just grab a big handful of beans, line them up, and chop off the ends with a sharp knife? Why spend the time snapping them? Is it just to feel old fashioned and traditional? Or is there some practical benefit to snapping the end? I think it might be so that one can tear off the tough string if one is present…but I’d prefer to think of the whole thing as a conspiracy to cause homemakers to spend as much time as possible in the kitchen. It’s all a conspiracy, I know it! The next thing they’ll want us to do is tie a grosgrain ribbon in our hair and wear an eyelet apron. And bring our husbands his slippers when he walks in the door. And call him “dear.”

Okay, so I already do that stuff. But only because I want to.

So anyway, snap off the end if you must. Hyacinth would like me to tell you that she does it that way because Granny did.

Hyacinth is such a follower.

Some people snap off both ends, but it isn’t necessary.

And that’s it! That’s how I make my fresh green beans. Now go feed them to your family and ENJOY!

Goodbye.

Oh, I just love doing that.

Okay, you’re also going to want to chop up some red bell pepper and onion. We used about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of red pepper and 1 cup onion.

Begin by plopping about 2 tablespoons bacon grease in a skillet over medium low – medium heat. Yes, I said bacon grease. Yes, I said bacon grease. I’m sorry, but it tastes magical and there’s just nothing like it. But if you’d prefer to stay away from its grasp, use 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. The butter will provide some nice color and flavor.

But I think you should use bacon grease. If for no other reason than none of your neighbors are. It’s important to be different!

Next, chop or press 2 cloves of garlic and add it to the skillet. Note the tiny bits of bacon that were present in the bacon grease. Yikes. Is that even legal?

Then add in the onion, stirring around and cooking it for a moment.

Now add the green beans…

1 cup of chicken broth…

And the red pepper.

Stir it around…

Then add 1/2 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Hyacinth used 1 teaspoon and it was plenty salty…but that was part of what made it so good. Also add in some black pepper to taste.

NOW—important: Turn the heat to low/medium low and cover with a lid, but CRACK THE LID so the steam escapes. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the liquid totally evaporates and the beans are fairly soft, but still have a bit of a bite to them. Don’t be afraid to let the chicken broth cook away, because the onions and beans will begin to caramelize, which means flavor-flavor-flavor!

Here’s what they looked like about 15 minutes into cooking. Notice the chicken broth has fled the scene.

And here’s the finished product. Absolutely, positively delicious, and I ain’t lyin’. The beans were definitely cooked but still slightly crisp, and the onions and red pepper were caramelized and beautiful. And the flavor of the bacon grease was definitely there.

Here was a surprising development: our kids—all seven of the little punk whippersnappers—loved them. They gathered around the platter one by one and soon it was a mass of kid fingers, grabbing individual green beans as if their lives depended on it. Marlboro Man even joined in the swarm.

Then I grabbed a wooden spoon and began rapping knuckles. Hey, I wouldn’t have gotten my fair share otherwise. These green beans are good, folks! They’re really that good.

Snap the stem ends of green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d like. Just don’t tell Granny. Melt bacon grease in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.

Preparation Instructions

Snap the stem ends of the green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d like. Just don’t tell Granny.

Melt bacon grease in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green.

Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp.

You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.

Hi Pioneer Woman! love your website and recipes. have been trying them for 2 weeks. Love those zucchini cakes!
Had the beans tonight, the recipe saved some not so fresh beans that were in the fridge. I can’t imagine how good they would be with really good fresh ones!!
Thanks and keep up the good work. Good food is important to my husband and I, and I LOVE TO EAT!
Stay cool, your heat wave is upon us any day now!
k

Weird thing: my husband prefers canned green beans to fresh. And he likes it when I don’t just heat them up on the stove, but boil them so they’re even more faded and soft. How I miss fresh, sweet, crisp-tender green beans, with nothing more than a bit of salted butter! I’m going to try these and see if he thinks they compare to the canned ones. I’ll let you know how it goes.

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jenn On Wednesday, August 6 at 4:59 pm

My family hates beens with any crunch to them. They only like them if they are close to mush! I will definatly try these tonight!

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Lorraine Groenewald On Monday, August 11 at 9:50 am

Thank you! thank you! thank you! for this lovely website and recipes. I live in South Africa and just love your recipes. Make mistakes with your measurements but I’m getting there – I’m also Afrikaans and English is my second language – but I’m also getting THERE! I told everyone I know about this website, specially my daughter-in -law…

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Kristi On Monday, August 11 at 12:19 pm

I made these this past weekend, only I had to use oil because I didn’t have bacon grease and it is 3 days later and my husband is still talking about them. He doesn’t even really like green beans but he says these were the best beans he’s ever had. They were really good!

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Lori On Sunday, August 17 at 9:08 pm

Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I made these tonight! They were absolutely delicious!!

Thank you for posting all of your wonderful recipes
~Lori

p.s., I made the butter/olive oil version

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Allison Griffin On Monday, August 18 at 9:35 pm

Great recipe! I can relate. Don’t you just love those punks!

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Weffie On Saturday, August 23 at 8:24 pm

I made these tonight with green beans and wax beans from my garden. They were fabulous!

310

Kassie On Thursday, October 9 at 8:44 pm

I made these today and they were absolutely lovely. I’ll have to grow more beans next year. Now all I want are fresh beans…

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Liana On Tuesday, October 28 at 8:28 pm

Hey, a double-jointed thumb! I get made fun of all the time for my backwards bending thumbs. Nice to see a fellow thumb odd ball!

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Julie On Tuesday, November 25 at 4:00 pm

Just what I was looking for. Going to try this recipie tonight! Sounds delicious! Thank you!!

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Denise from New Orleans On Saturday, January 3 at 6:12 pm

LOVE IT and being the southern coonass cajun girl that I am….bacon grease is a staple!!!

Loved that you used your cast iron skillet….another staple to southern cooking.

Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it once months ago (with olive oil) and got RAVE reviews, then sadly lost this bookmark and the recipe. Nearly cried about it.

Now I’ve found you again, and I’m savoring this YUMMY recipe until the end of time. Thank you!

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Lauren On Tuesday, March 10 at 8:04 pm

Wonderful recipe. I used two slices of bacon for oil and then cut up the bacon and make it part of the recipe. two thumbs up!

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deb On Wednesday, June 10 at 8:53 pm

Oh, my. goodness. The flavor of these beans is so wonderful My husband and son are barely coming up for air to say “great beans”. I even doubled the recipe, for just the three of us, and there are only a few lonely beans left in the bowl. I was hoping for leftovers!!

Oh my I made these for dinner last night. Oh my We had them with apple butter pork chops. Oh my

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Sarah On Monday, July 13 at 8:33 pm

This is my favorite green beans recipe… even without the red pepper which I don’t often have. I love the caramelized onions.

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Kristy On Thursday, August 20 at 2:51 pm

Yum! I made this for my family last night and it was delicious, everyone ate it up. Since I didn’t have any bacon grease handy I just “had” to fry some up and crumble it over the top when it was all done, “is that legal?” Some homemade chicken stock, roasted red peppers and there was not a bite left.

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Anonymous On Thursday, August 27 at 12:15 pm

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Breanna On Tuesday, September 1 at 9:44 pm

OMGoodness! I just made this dish tonight; it is AMAZING! I called my mother and told her about it so she could make it too! Thanks for the GREAT recipe; it is one for the books!

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Sam T On Thursday, October 8 at 3:07 am

I made this for dinner last night, and it was really really tasty – thanks! I didn’t have any fresh beans, as my plants have stopped producing, but although I imagine fresh beans would have had a better texture, your recipe still works with the beans I froze earlier in the summer.

I didn’t have any bacon grease, but these were really good with the butter/olive oil. I like my green beans pretty crispy, so I had the heat up a bit higher after I put the chicken stock in so it would evaporate and the whole thing cook more quickly. The result was delicious crunchy green beans – perfect!

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Patricia Lanni On Monday, November 23 at 6:28 pm

Made these beans tonight. They were delicious. We usually make them (portuguese style) in a red tomato sauce with chourico and potatoes….that is really delicious as well and can serve as a lunch or dinner dish.

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Amy On Tuesday, February 16 at 4:28 pm

These were great even with the butter/olive oil approach although I am a HUGE fan of bacon grease!